Plural switch combination control for entrance light and bell having pneumatic delay means for opening the entrance light switch



3,101,396 RANCE LIGHT 0R OPENING IC DELAY MEANS F CE LIGHT SWITCH W. P. KENNEDY BINATION CONTROL FOR ENT NEUMAT TI-IEI ENTRAN Filed Dec. 10, 1959 Aug. 20, 1963 A PLURAL-SWITCH CoM AND BELL HAVING P Fle.

m n u I I I l I I I l l I l A..

n IN VEN TOR.

` entrance light switch in oill position.

o 3rd-dhd96 Patented Annan, rasa ice sumisas v rLUnAL swircn CoMniNArroN coNrnon non' ENTRANCE LIGHT AND BELL HAVING PNEU- 1 MA'IIC DELAY MEANS FR OPENING 'lIHEl ENTRANCE LIGHT SWITCH William I?. Kennedy, 304 Freyer Drive, Marietta,Ga.

Filed Dec. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 358,802 2 Claims. (Cl. 20o- 34) This invention rel-ates to entrance signaling systems, commonly known las door bells, and yentrance illuminating means, each of which .are electrically powered, and is p erating lcomponents whenlthe light is wished but not the" v signal.

j throughits top.

particularly concerned with a device ithat would provide means-toenaole a person to cause anl entrance light or lights toilluminate as a result of lhis pushing a door bell button),v with said light re-mainingon a predetermined interval and then automatically Iturning 01T. r L i `A` number of devicesl or systems for this purpose have been tried inthe past but were intricate in structure, expensive,` and'diilicult to install and maintain, Lthe usualL methodY embodyingtlhe use of entirely electrical `comand the like in various combinations. Thepresent invention,vusing mechanical methods of controlling ysignal and light switches in such a systemis vconsiderably less expensive to manufacture and install, more durable and of( a construction such as .to enable a yperson unskilled in the electrical arts to easily install and maintain.- The deponent's" such fasrelays, rectiers, capacitors, solenoids,

` FIG. -7 is a'plan sectional vviewof the device looking FIG. y8 -is a front View in enlarged detail of a diaphragm which forms a part of the device.

, FIG. 9 is a side view of vthe door bell push button and the diaphragm shown in FIG. 8, Vand includes .a sectional view fof the `diaphragm housing for mounting the' diaphragm to one end ci the push button.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the devices housing which may be defined as a box of lightweight metal, rectangular in shape, yone side open and incorporating a llange Z around the open side. This boxl is fastened by means of nails or screws into the Wall of a building in a location suitable for a door bell button with the ilange side of the box being against the exterior of the wall. Anopening including a clamp d` is at the rear of the box for stationing one end of an electrical conduit 4 whichis attached to .fthe terminals of a lever switch 5 which controls z current ilow to lan entrance light. This switch is of a type readily found lon the market and incorporates *a lever 6 which is urged by the spring 7 in a direction away from the switch body. In the position of the lever close to the switch body, as shown in FIG. l,

. the rswitch is in oft position and in the position of the vice consists-of asingle unit and may beadded to'an existing door bell 'andentrance light system by simply replacing the original door bell switch wit-h the device and wiring the entrance light yswitch of the device to the existing entrance light toggle switch.

yThe structure of the present invention is such asto provide in addition to the aforesaid meansffor a user to temporarily illuminate the entrance by the act of pushing the'door bell buttonv but also to furnish means to avoid the activation vof the signalr bell in such cases as a person leaving the premises and requiring a short in- -terval of light without the` signaloperating needlesslyl In-accordance therewith, it is `among the primary objects of ythe present invention to provide ra novel, simple, and improved device whichwill-activate a door bell and a light located for illuminating said ydoor upon pressure being applied to a single door bell button, withl said light automatically turning oflafter a predetermined length of time. v o f Another object of Ithe invention isto provide a device of the character described with means to preclude the operation of the doorbell when rthe button is; pushed by a user who wishes an interval of light only.

Numerous other objects, features; and advantages'oi:` lthe present structure will )be apparent from the consideration of 'the followingspecilication taken in conjunction With lthe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of. the device with its electrical wiring leads shown attached and showing the Y door bell and entrance light switches in off position.

FI G. Y2Vl is a lfragmentary side sectional view of FIG.' 1, with the wiring and part ofthe housing not shown,y and showingthe door bell switch in on position and the FIG. 3 is ,a view of FIG., 2, showing the door bell switch in off position andthe entrance light switch in onposition. y f v i o FIG. 4vis affront view of the device showing the cover plate land the push buttons.

leveraway from the svntch body, as shown in FIG. 3, the switch is in on position, and is' in on position throughout its arc of travel except slightly before ybeing pressed against the adjustable stop bolt f8 at which time it causes the switch -to be in o position and continues in oli position as it rests against the bolt 8. The switch is mounted Ito a flanged plate 9 by means `of the bolts 10 with the plate 9 being removably secured to the brackets 11,'a part of the hou-sing 1, by means of the bolts 12. A space suiiicient to contain the extra length ofthe wires of the conduit 4, as shown in FIG. 1, is provided so that electrical connection may be made to the switch with it and its attached plate 9 outside the housing 1 and then mounting the plate in the housing.

As shown in FIGS. land 5, a pair ofV brackets 13 are mounted to the plate 9 and support a sheet of nonconductive plastic 14 .of a thickness to properly threadedly station the bolts r1S and lo. These bolts are of conductive material :and afford means of connecting the wiring leads 17 and 18 of a low-voltage door bell system to the conductive spring leaves 19 and 20". As shown in FIG. l, there is no contact 'of these leaves in vnormal position but as shown in FIG. 2 will contact and ai'liord current flow wardly the plunger 21. This plunger, which resembles a f doorbell button for ready identication by la caller, is

FIG. 5 is a front View of the device with the cover plate removed, showing the switch levers.

FIG. 6 is a view of FIG. 2, showing means in operation' `torprevent ,electrical contact of thedoor bell switch opkis'shown in FIG. 9 and in FIG. 1

slideably mounted in a collar 22 ona cover plate 23 which is removably mounted over the open side of the housing 1. The cover plate is of a weatherproof and `decorative iinishand is held to the flange 2 by means of bolts 24. l p

As shown in FIGL9, the plungerZl is threadedly connected to 4a cupped housing 25 which includes a rubber pneumatic diaphragm 2'63, obtainable commercially, which in normal position. This diaphragm, if its attached plunger is pushed as shown in FIG. 2, will retract into its housing and when pressure on the plunger is released will slowly resume its original shape. :The time required .by the commercial diaphragm to regain its normal position is about one minute which makes itsuse ideal ISor the present device. As shown in FIG.' l, .the forward tip of the diaphragm holds the entrance light switch lever 6 in o position, the diaphragm is'shown forced by a user to retracted position in FIG. 2,

andis shown lbeginning its resume to normal position in y FIG. 3. It will be understood that during the time the retracted diaphragm is regaining its normal shape the entrance light will be on but when the normal shape of This action is shown in lFIGS. 1 and 2. The expansive force `of the spring leaf 19 and the lever spring 7 is suicient to maintain the plunger 21 in extended position 4as shown in FIG'. l unless the plunger is forcibly pushed hy the user. f

As shown in FIG. 5, the free end of the spring leaf 19 is coated with a non-conductive material to avoid any electrical short" circuit as a result of its contact with the diaphragm housing as indicated in FIG. 1. Slideably mounted in a collar 27 in the cover plate 23 is a plunger 2Sv of smaller size than the .door =bell button plunger 21. This plunger provides means for a user to .push the spring leaf 20 into such position that there will be no contact with spring `leaf 19 when yplunge-r 21 is pushed and plunger 28 is held in pushed position. This action is shown in FIG. 6 and enables the use of the de t vice lfor illuminating the entrance for the stated time without ringing the door bell.

The invention having been set lforth, what'I vclaim as new and useful is: v

. 1.,A combination'contrcl mechanism having control mean-s to cause'an electrically powered entrance bell circuit switch to open or close, said switch having exible arm contact means normally open, said control means also'causing a separate electrically powered entrance light circuit switchto` open or close, said light circuit switch having a switch operating arm spring biased toward a closed switch position, said control means comprising a pushable, sliding, manually operated plunger normally held in a irst retracted position, said plunger having attached thereto a puotuberant, air containing, com-pressible,

ymanually exhaustible and self-expanding diaphragm, said j diaphragmv when -in expanded condition holding said switch ioperating `arm in the open switch position, said plunger when manually pushed to a second position being effective to close said flexible arm contact Vmeans of said hell circuit switch whereby said bell circuitV is energized, and to compress `and exhaust said diaphragm, said plunger I -allowingsaid exible :arm contact means to open and withdrawing said compressed diaphragm from contact with -said light circuit switch operating armas said plunger returns to the first retracted position when said manual pressure is discontinued, whereby said bell circuit switch is opened and said light circuit switch operating armmoves to a 'closed switch position and remainsy in said closedv switch position until said diaphragmhas self-expanded to its normally protu'berant condition Athereby moving Vsaid switch operating yarm 'hack to the open switch position. f n

2. The Idevice fas claimed in claim 1 further comprising a second pushableLslidable, manually operated plungerA normally held in a first retracted position, said second plunger when manually pushed to a second position heing effective to prevent lthe closing of said bell circuit switch contacts by said rst plunger whereby the light circuit is energized without the energization of said bell circuit.

References Cited inthe le of'lthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I 1,059,013 'Urquhart -V -Apr. l5,` 1913 1,942,040 Wolff lan. 2, 1934 2,866,862 v Bachi' Ls Dec. 30, 1958 V2,912,685 Thomas Nov. 10, 1959 '2,921,162 Craddock k V Ian. l12, 1960 V'FOREIGNPATENTS l j t 697,151

Great Britain sept. 1619'53 

1. A COMBINATION CONTROL MECHANISM HAVING CONTROL MEANS TO CAUSE AN ELECTRICALLY POWERED ENTRANCE BELL CIRCUIT SWITCH TO OPEN OR CLOSE, SAID SWITCH HAVING FLEXIBLE ARM CONTACT MEANS NORMALLY OPEN, SAID CONTROL MEANS ALSO CAUSING A SEPARATE ELECTRICALLY POWERED ENTRANCE LIGHT CIRCUIT SWITCH TO OPEN OR CLOSE, SAID LIGHT CIRCUIT SWITCH HAVING A SWITCH OPERATING ARM SPRING BIASED TOWARD A CLOSED SWITCH POSITION, SID CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING A PUSHABLE, SLIDING, MANUALLY OPERATED PLUNGER NORMALLY HELD IN A FIRST RETRACTED POSITION, SAID PLUNGER HAVING ATTACHED THERETO A PROTUBERANT, AIR CONTAINING, COMPRESSIBLE, MANUALLY EXHAUSTIBLE AND SELF-EXPANDING DIAPHRAGM, SAID DIAPHRAGM WHEN IN EXPANDED CONDITION HOLDING SAID SWITCH OPERATING ARM IN THE OPEN SWITCH POSITION, SAID PLUNGER WHEN MANUALLY PUSHED TO A SECOND POSITION BEING EFFECTIVE TO CLOSE SAID FLEXIBLE ARM CONTACT MEANS OF SAID BELL CIRCUIT SWITCH WHEREBY SAID BELL CIRCUIT IS ENERGIZED, AND TO COMPRESS AND EXHAUST SAID DIAPHRAGM, SAID PLUNGER ALLOWING SAID FLEXIBLE ARM CONTACT MEANS TO OPEN AND WITHDRAWING SAID COMPRESSED DIAPHRAGM FROM CONTACT WITH SAID LIGHT CIRCUIT SWITCH OPERATING ARM AS SAID PLUNGER RETURNS TO THE FIRST RETRACTED POSITION WHEN SAID MANUAL PRESSURE IS DISCONTINUED, WHEREBY SAID BELL CIRUIT SWITCH IS OPENED AND SAID LIGHT CIRCUIT SWITCH OPERATING ARM MOVES TO A CLOSED SWITCH POSITION AND REMAINS IN SAID CLOSED SWITCH POSITION UNTIL SAID DIAPHRAGM HAS SELF-EXPANDED TO ITS NORMALLY PROTUBERANT CONDITION THEREBY MOVING SAID SWITCH OPERATING ARM BACK TO THE OPEN SWITCH POSITION. 